Modern girl
by mortaldaughterofAthena
Summary: Selene is a normal girl with normal problems. She and her brother are transported to the Pride and Prejudice world. What happens? How will the plot change?


I needed to do some exercise for the biathlon next week, so I went for a run. First big mistake.

So I changed into my running gear, plugged in my iPod and put my phone in my pocket. I ran my hands unconsciously through my short hair, and somehow managed to tie it up (second big mistake) and started down the lane.

"SELENE ALICE BENNET!"

Oh, no. My mother charged out of the house.

"What are you doing? Why isn't your bed made? Why haven't you read your book yet? Why didn't you ask James if he wanted to come? Why ..." I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"Mum, I'm going to do it when I get back. And James would go too fast for me. You know that. Why do you keep on asking me to bring him?"

"Because he pushes you harder. You need to get a good mark in the biathlon or you'll have to drop PE! You won't be able to become a goalie if you don't. JAMES!"

James sprinted out of the house with the book my class was studying, Pride and Prejudice. I liked the book, and had finished it several times already. But I told mum I hadn't so I could keep on reading it. The only problem was eventually I was going to have to tell her that I had finished it, and my excuse to read would be invalid.

"Sel, do ya wanna go now, we'll stop on the way for ya book, I'm tired anyway." I looked gratefully at him, gave mum a conciliatory hug and ran off. I didn't know that hug would be my last.

We sprinted to the safety of the wattle trees, then slowed down. Summer was well on the way, the hot November sun beating down, the enticing wattle brushes calling birds and flies to our scent. The typical Australian summer (well, spring, it was summer in two days).

"Why do you keep on working her up? You always do and I have to help you out of it."

"Jamie, I… I don't know. I hate cleaning my room and I want to get more fitness for hockey tomorrow. It's just too much for me to handle at the moment." School had finished yesterday, but my class had to do a biathlon to prove we were worthy to be in the class.

"Come on, she'll come out and find us here soon if we don't move soon"

"Race you to the dam!"

"You're on"

The humid air lulled me into a trance. Tired, I closed my eyes and jogged. The sounds around me changed; crickets changed to wind rustling along the grass, kookaburras laughing changed to nightingales crowing (for some reason I did not register the change).

"Sel!"

Startled, I opened my eyes. Jamie and I looked around bewilderedly. Where were we?

"Sel, where are we? You were flickering…" I interrupted Jamie in astonishment.

"Flickering? How's that possible?"

"Do you want me to tell you or what? You were flickering, and I grabbed hold of you. Then the world just changed. Do you know where we are?"

"Do you remember being forced to watch Pride and Prejudice for school? I think that's Longboun"

He looked at me with one of his 'you-know-I-don't-pay-attention-in-class' looks and sighed. "I wish I did now. We're there, aren't we? We're in Pride and Prejudice." He sat down resignedly.

"Hang in there Jamie, I'll find a way out. I…"

I couldn't continue, though, because a scream interrupted my thoughts. Spinning around, I saw a plump woman running to a nearby house I hadn't noticed before. We exchanged a look of alarm. I didn't want to push my luck too much.

After a few minutes of tense silence, I saw the woman returning with a well-dressed man; I recognised him as Mr. Bennet.

"See, sir! I told you there were two boys here!"

"Excuse me," I said delicately, standing up," I am a GIRL. You know, a FEMALE"

"Calm down, Sel. I think he got it the first time." Jamie tried to intervene before I got angry, but only made me angrier.

"Calm down?! How could I calm down when I've had a lecture from my mother, been transported back in time and been called a boy!" I stared defiantly at Jamie before bursting into tears.

Mr Bennet looked at me with a mixture of sympathy and confusion. I could tell he did not believe my entire story, but he invited us into the library.

Some girls peaked through a door. The servant followed my gaze. "The kitchens, miss, and miss Lydia and Kitty. They're quite… inquisitive." Mr Bennet turned to me and added "and silly." I giggled, then stopped after a cough from Jamie and a harsh glare from Mr Bennet. He ushered Jamie and I into the library and closed the door.

He motioned for us to sit, before following his own directions. He held my gaze for a second before sighing and saying to Jamie, "It is a generally followed propriety to call upon a family without any feminine company, however informally they are attired." A quick glance at me ensured we both knew exactly what he was talking about- I was wearing skimpy running shorts and a singlet. From what I knew of the regency era, I had no chance of making a good impression.

Jamie seemed lost so I leaned over, whispering in his ear to introduce us. Jamie took a deep breath and said, "I...ah...apologise for the…um… rudeness…of our visit. I am Jam… I mean, Mr James Bennet, and my sister, Miss Selene Bennet. We are…um… visitors to the…ah…area and are visiting…" He trailed off at Mr Bennet's raised eyebrow.

He sighed and said quite bluntly, "Who are you? You are not of the gentry nor aristocracy and your voice sounds strange."

Jamie regained his composure first. "I am James William Bennet, and this is Selene Elizabeth Bennet. As you probably guessed from Selene's little outburst out there", he gestured out to the garden and earned a death stare from me, "we are from the future…"

Mr Bennet interrupted before he could continue, "what year?"

"29 of November, 2013, sir. We were going for a run when I apparently started flickering", I risked a glare at Jamie before going on," then we just appeared here. As to our accents, sir, our country of origin is Australia, although it is vastly different to the miniscule colony you know of today."

His astonishment was paramount at this point, and he quickly enquired on the more _modern _aspects of my speech. "The word miniscule contains no meaning in my mind. What would your purpose in using it be?"

Jamie and I quickly exchanged glances, although for differing reasons- his in confusion, mine in annoyance. He was deliberately mocking me! I was tired, stressed and sweaty. I hadn't eaten since last night and I was in an alternate universe on a short fuse. But I had so much riding on our acceptance into the family- namely, our return home- so I managed to snap through my teeth, "what the hell, old man. I am trying to explain the reason for us being here and all you can do is make a mockery of me?" I took a deep breath and began again. "I will ignore your last question in favour of asking another much more pertinent to the current conversation. Since we have no way of returning home, can you make any suggestions as to our arrangements until we discover a way to return home? And will you stop looking at me like that?"

Any further talk was halted by my phone going off. Mr Bennet jumped as Gangdem style started playing, looking around wildly for the source. Rolling my eyes, I took it out. Jamie quietly asked, "there's reception in the 1800s?" Just as confused, I shrugged and checked the message, slowly growing more incredulous as I reread it over and over again. Jamie glanced over my shoulder, slowly reading it out for Mr Bennet, who was getting more confused by the second. "'Hi, we are the Alternate Universe division of the International Unexpected Travel Association. We have provided a link to the exact time and place you disappeared from. Please press this link to return at your leisure. Please note that while this is a once in a lifetime experience, most AU travellers tend to have their souls start to deteriorate after 2 months. This phone has been given unlimited power to allow your return. Best of luck, Glenn Sheppard, head of AU travel.' Well sis, care to stay awhile?"

And stay we did. Lydia was someone we both disregarded. She and Mrs Bennet abandoned the family as they could not deal with the changes our world had gone through. After one family dinner they retired to Mrs Bennet's chambers. The ripple effect caused Kitty to be more removed from Lydia's presence, so I concentrated my efforts onto Kitty. Under some forceful guidance she gradually morphed into a stronger girl, and I was sure, by the end of our stay, that she would not fall under Lydia's harmful control again. Mary found a twin soul in Jamie, who was an avid music fan. They spent countless hours at the piano transcribing songs off our Ipods. His influence also paid off in that she became a more sociable creature and realised her playing was not the best- she begged her father's permission to go to London to their Uncle Gardiner for a piano master after our departure.

The eldest Bennet sisters and Mr Bennet were the only ones who knew the truth about us, and we had many a conversation about what the future held. We were careful not to reveal their future, except for one detail- Wickham. I choose to believe they heeded our advice and kept him at arm's length during their acquaintance. We both became close to Jane, but Lizzy kept her distance after hearing us swear quietly after some annoyances-for example, my first time wearing a corset. I was about ready to kill whoever came up with them.

After one and a half months, we both grew sick of the stupid restrictions put on us. Not only that, there was no indoor plumbing and a bath only once a week! After a rather emotional (for some) goodbye we departed the household and returned to our time.

The trip to the past was one of the best experiences of my life. I never found out how the family went after we left, but I choose to believe that Darcy was not so critical of the family at assemblies, making both Jane and Elizabeth to find their true loves quicker. And the worst part?

My phone was dead.


End file.
